Author Guidelines

Comprehensive instructions for preparing your manuscript for submission to Scholarly Open journals. Following these guidelines will help ensure a smooth review process across social sciences, medical, and other discipline-specific journals.

Before You Submit

Please ensure your submission meets these requirements before submitting.

Original Work

The manuscript must be original and not under consideration elsewhere. Plagiarism checks will be performed.

Author Agreement

All authors must agree to the submission and meet ICMJE authorship criteria.

Ethics Approval

Research involving human subjects or animals must have appropriate ethics approval.

Conflict of Interest

All potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed in the manuscript.

Manuscript Structure

Organize your manuscript according to these sections for original research articles.

Title Page
  • Concise and informative title (max 20 words)
  • Full names and affiliations of all authors
  • Corresponding author contact details
  • Running title (max 50 characters)
  • Word count and number of figures/tables
Abstract
  • Structured abstract (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions)
  • Maximum 300 words
  • No references or abbreviations
  • Include 4-6 keywords
Main Text
  • Introduction: Background, objectives, hypothesis
  • Methods: Detailed, reproducible methodology
  • Results: Clear presentation of findings
  • Discussion: Interpretation and implications
  • Conclusions: Summary and future directions
References
  • APA 7th edition for social sciences and most journals
  • AMA style or ICMJE recommendations for medical submissions
  • Other discipline-appropriate guidelines where noted

File Formats & Requirements

Submit your files in the following formats for optimal processing.

Manuscript

Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX (.tex)

Double-spaced, 12pt font, numbered lines

Figures

TIFF, EPS, or high-resolution PDF

Minimum 300 DPI, separate files

Tables

Editable Word or Excel format

One table per page, clear headings

Supplementary

PDF, video (MP4), data files

Clearly labeled and referenced

Text Formatting

Follow these formatting guidelines for your manuscript text.

Font & Spacing

  • Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt
  • Double-spaced throughout
  • 2.5cm margins on all sides
  • Continuous line numbering

Headings

  • Level 1: Bold, centered
  • Level 2: Bold, left-aligned
  • Level 3: Italic, left-aligned
  • Consistent numbering optional

Language

  • American or British English (consistent)
  • SI units for measurements
  • Define abbreviations at first use
  • Avoid jargon where possible

Figures & Tables

Guidelines for preparing visual elements.

Figures

  • Minimum 300 DPI resolution
  • Maximum width 17cm for full page
  • Legible text (minimum 8pt when printed)
  • Color figures at no extra charge
  • Include figure legends separately

Tables

  • Editable format (not images)
  • Clear column and row headers
  • Footnotes for explanations
  • Avoid excessive gridlines
  • One table per page

Supplementary Material

  • Clearly labeled (S1, S2, etc.)
  • Referenced in main text
  • Video files in MP4 format
  • Data files with documentation

Reference Style

Use APA 7th edition citation style for social sciences and most journals, and AMA style or ICMJE recommendations for medical submissions. Always follow the journal-specific instructions for final formatting.

Journal Article

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page-Page. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Book

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.

Book Chapter

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.

Ready to Share Your Research?

Once your manuscript is prepared according to these guidelines, you can submit through our online system.